It seems that every time I ride into a town the clouds cover the sun and the rain falls. It turns the dust on the road to mud that soon covers the pale, white horse upon which I sit. I was bound for a town tucked back in the mountains where a small gold strike was about to be discovered. I heard the cries of a mother as she found her child covered with small pox in this little town surrounded by the mountains. It was my duty to respond and save the child from long suffering. As I rode my horse toward the forgotten town a sign lay before me pointing, west, to a small town called Laramie. I was informed that a man was suffering from a sickness; one he has kept from his wife, of thirty years, for some time. He called out to me some time back and I had yet to respond. A small delay from my task to save the sick in the forgotten town could be delayed for a day or two.
I first came upon a cattle drive, how beautiful the herd looked as it wildly stampeded across the plains. The cowboys rode desperately toward the leader in hope to turn and stop the rampage. Then it happened, a horse tripped in a gopher hole and fell forward, the rider flew forward smashing his head on the ground. His unconscious body pummeled by the cattle feet as they ran by. My pale, white horse sensed it to and slowly started forward toward the mangled body. I slid off, my bare feet absorbing the cold mud in between my toes. He gasped for breath and his eyes widened as I approached.
"I've come to save you." I stated, a warm sensation resonating from my voice. Behind us, the sounds of shouting echoed as his comrades realized a friend had fallen. His arm outstretched in my direction, his eyes pleading for help. I grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
"I will find you on the trail and take you home myself." I turned, but could sense the smile on his face as he stood grabbing his side. As I walked back to my pale, white horse I heard his friend behind me crying as the rain fell harder.
The road to Laramie was a lonely trip since leaving the cattle drive. I had no one with which to talk. I heard the squeaking of a rocking chair against the front porch, which caused my head to turn and look over my left shoulder. Through some trees I could see a small wooden cabin with a man relaxing out front. My pale, white horse turned toward the cabin, following the road till it led to the end of the path.
A man with white hair covering most of his face sat with his eyes closed and his fingers entwined on his fairly large stomach. His right eye slid open as I approached, his feet began to push the rocking chair slightly.
"I asked you to come many times before, why do you come now?" He coughed into a white bandanna, red splotches stained the spot where his lips left. His breathing slowed and his brown eyes fell upon me.
"I was delayed. A railroad accident caused me to stay in one spot for a while. My associates have been busy dealing with the aftermath of the war in the East. I came as soon as I could." I slid from my pale, white horse, my bare feet embracing the mud and straw upon the ground. I walked toward his porch and sat down on the step. From my pocket I retrieved a slightly broken watch, a whole day had come and gone since the cattle drive. The older man had started smoking a wooden pipe, the smell of tobacco filling the air around us.
"What time is it?" He asked as the pipe lit up the darkness around him.
"Time is irrelevant." The reply was harsher then it was meant to be. The older man inhaled from the pipe slowly before coughing up dark red phlegm once again.
"I squared all my assets, she will get all of it. Maybe move back to her sister in New Hampshire. We never had no children, nothing really left for her here. I do believe she can live without me. Don't want her to see me locked in a cage, don't need her to feel like a prisoner for I already do." He pushed from his chair, it continued to rock. He walked into the house briefly before returning back out with his holed, brown hat in hand. His wrinkled hand grasped the side of the house, running it up and down the frame. I stood and held my hand out to help him down; hesitantly he grasped it.
"I had to tell her one last time I loved her, but I didn't want to wake her." He whispered as he passed by my pale, white horse. I watched him till he disappeared in the darkness. I could have told him, but he didn't ask, so I didn't bring his dear beloved up. I pushed open the door, my bare feet silently striking the ground. She sat on the bed, her hand over her heart. I stood in the doorway watching as she pushed away the covers and walked out of the room.
"My chest, my chest hurts so much. I….I need some tea. Where is Ernest?" Her voice panicked and she pushed past me. She grabbed toward her chest once against and leaned on a chair. I continued to watch as she took a seat and attempted to calm herself down. Suddenly, her breathing slowed and she looked around. Her brown eyes jumped to the doorway and she pushed herself from the table as she noticed my shadowy presence watching her.
"Who…who are you?"
"A friend of your husband. I'm here to take you to him. He is a little way down the road, I think we can catch up."
"Ernest, is gone?"
I shook my head slightly. "He's just on a walk, he'll be home soon." I stepped forward, hand outstretched. "Take my hand, I'll take you to him." A hesitating look once last time around the house. It is hard taking the hand of a stranger, unknown of what is to come next. I have waited quite a while for someone to trust me, but in the end they always accept the invitation.
"What is your name?" She asked grasping my hand. Her hand tingled as the warmth flew through her.
"I go by many names, too many to count. Let's get you to your husband." I led her from the house, the sun was just peaking from behind the mountain as we stepped off the porch. At the end of the path, we spotted Ernest. His hands in his pockets, a brown hat on his head, pipe hanging from his mouth. He turned, waved and ran up to his wife. They embraced, held hands, and started down the path together toward home. The rain slowed a bit.
Once again I found myself traveling toward the forgotten town upon my pale, white horse. I had met the man who had called in on the outskirts of a town called Laramie. My pale, white horse stopped suddenly. The strange behavior had me confused at first until I heard the yell of a name from a young boy. The pale, white horse turned sharply down a hill to reveal a red barn beside a corral. A wild mustang bucked back and forth. As we approached, I saw the rider get thrown. His body ended up striking the side of the red barn; mainly his head, it snapped back as he slammed onto the ground. The young boy, that clung to the wooden fence, shrieked,
"JESS!"
I slid into the corral, the mustang charged, but pulled up quickly as it sensed my presence. It trotted to the other side of the corral where the pale, white horse stood. I looked at the still body, watching the chest slowly rise. I hiked my pants up slightly as I squatted beside him. His blue eyes slowly focused on me.
"That was quite a fall you just took." Out of the corner of my eye I saw the door from the house open and a tall blonde headed figure emerge. The young boy was across from me grabbing the left arm of the man called Jess. His blue eyes flicked toward the young boy and then back at me.
"We've met before?" He asked in a whisper.
"Your name sounds familiar, might have heard it from one of my colleagues. Time is irrelevant; past, present, future, it doesn't matter. What does matter is what you want to do." He lay on his back watching the rain fall, before flicking his blue eyes back at me.
"My head is hurting. Can you make it stop?"
"I can make everything stop hurting. All you have to do is grab my hand and I will help you up." Yet, I didn't move my hand from my knee. Jess grappled with the idea. Then a voice echoed and broke the silence.
"Jess! Jess, can you hear me?" The blonde haired man had reached the fence. His face revealed a concerned look as he climbed through and knelt beside me overlooking his friend. I turned and looked at him and then back at Jess.
"I can take you home, don't worry your family will join."
A tear appeared down the cowboy's face as he thought.
"Andy, go inside and get Jonesy now!"
He pushed himself up and walked with me around the corral. On the ground his lifeless body lay, his friend around it shaking it, waiting for a sign of life. Together we walked toward the house, Jonesy was just leaving and slowly running by us.
"You have a nice set up here. I can see why it is hard, especially you being young and wanting to live more. The family you have, the family you will have. It is great you know, but I can show you a place where pain and sorrow doesn't exist. Your life has and will be faced with more." Jess kicked a stone, his face pained.
"Why do you wear that?" His question that caught me off guard. Many ask my name, my purpose, but to ask about my apparel, was different. I looked down at my rolled up brown trousers hanging onto my fit body with black cloth suspenders. My bare feet covered in specks of dried mud.
"It's comfortable. It also makes people relaxed. Coming face to face with what you fear the most can end if you think I am just a normal person." We looked back at his motionless body. As another scream from Andy rose up pleading with Jess to move. Jess looked down at the rock again.
"Where are you headed after this?" I looked up at the sky.
"I am not allowed to discuss my business with anyone. It's a slightly long ride, I will pick up companions on the way and I will take them home with me." I turned to look at him. "Listen to the sounds around you, really listen."
"Andy?" Jess whispered. I knew he had made his decision.
"Slim?" He paused once again before looking me in the eye. "They…they are my family. I need to stay with them." He bit his lip. "This is my home, I want to stay." I am not one to normally smile, but I admire a person that can look me in the eye and say no; offered a better deal and with death at his door, he said no! I turned to walk away when I heard his voice one last time.
"When the offer comes back around, will you be the one to help me up?"
"Just call for me, I'll come. Don't worry Mr. Harper, go back to your family now." I swung back onto my pale, white horse. We stood watching as Jess slowly sat up with his family beside him, bustling like women as they checked his head for wounds. We both knew that I was not there to take him home. Just to show him that there is a life beyond what he knew. I saw his eyes search for me, but I was already climbing the hill toward the forgotten town. Along the road I found the cowboy from the cattle drive waiting. He smiled and waved as I came closer.
"Shall we go home now?"